Read Matt. 9:1-13

Jesus made it clear that he didn’t come to help those who were already capable, but he came to save those that were helpless. He came to be a savior for the helpless. Perhaps it’s because of our pride or the delusion that we can be self-sufficient—but over time, many of us seem to only seek Jesus and cry out to him for help when we need something. When we do this, whether we realize it or not, we’ve actually turned Jesus into an assistant rather than a savior.

The reality is, we don’t like to think of ourselves as desperate or in need of a savior. We’d much rather save ourselves than rely on someone else to save us. But the gospel confronts each of us with the truth that we were “dead” in sin. (Eph. 2) Dead people can’t save anything. Dead people can’t do anything. God had to intervene to bring us back to life, and He did just that by sending the savior that could do what we could never do for ourselves. When you truly grasp the heart of the gospel, then there’s no other way to look at Jesus but with gratitude for saving us when we couldn’t save ourselves. 

Hear this good news today: God loves to pour out grace on those who can admit that they are helpless and needy. You will never outgrow your need for God’s grace, and God will never run out of grace if you keep asking Him for it. “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam. 3:22-23)